The Hastings boys hockey team (0-2) shook off a slow start to the season and used this past week to remind everyone that early stumbles do not have to define a group. After scoring just once in their first two games, the Raiders found their rhythm at home, stacked back-to-back wins, and skated with the confidence and purpose their head coach has been waiting to see.
The turnaround began on Monday against Dodge County, where Hastings struck quickly, moved the puck with poise, and finally turned pressure into production. Finn Zaruba opened the scoring on a power play, finishing a clean setup from Jonas Schauer and Carter Hanson. Moments later, Schauer buried another, with Hanson and Will Savage picking up helpers, and the Raiders walked into the first intermission ahead 2 to 0 with a sense that something had shifted.
The second period confirmed it. Isaac Meyers scored right away, pushing the lead to three, then Andrew McGraw and Hanson each cashed in on even strength chances. The puck movement was crisp, the forecheck steady, and the decision making far stronger than what Hastings showed in its opening week. Dodge County broke through late in the period, but by then the Raiders had full control.
In the third, Blake Weber added one more with help from Schauer and Zaruba, while goalie Charlie Stoffel kept things calm on the other end, stopping 22 of 24 shots. Schauer finished with four points, Hanson with three, and Zaruba and Weber each chimed in with multi point nights. Hastings outshot Dodge County 29 to 24, went 1 for 4 on the power play, and took only one minor penalty in a 6 to 2 win that felt like a reset button for the entire roster.
That strong showing rolled right into Thursday’s matchup with the Tartan-North St. Paul co-op, a game where Hastings played with the kind of intent that jumps off the ice. Coach Matt Klein said afterward that his group showed far better purpose in how they attacked, possessed, and moved the puck, adding that the selfless play stood out and the team “hounded the puck physically well all night.”
The stat sheet backed him up. Hastings fired 68 shots, controlled long stretches in the offensive zone, and allowed only two shots in the second period. Hanson started the scoring on the power play, set up by Savage and Zaruba, then Zaruba added an even strength goal minutes later with assists from Brecken Fullerton and Michael Kennedy. Schauer continued his big week with a power play goal in the second, again fed by Hanson and Savage, and later tacked on a shorthanded tally in the third to put the game out of reach.
Tartan managed one goal late in the second, but Stoffel stayed sharp, finishing with 18 saves on 19 shots. Savage posted three assists, Hanson added a goal and an assist, and Zaruba and Schauer continued to drive the offense. Hastings also killed all six penalties it took, showing structure that had been missing earlier in the year.
Afterward, Klein praised the complete effort, telling his players that playing the right way can feel boring at times, but performances like this give them a foundation to build on. He noted the progress from game one to game four and said the steps ahead “are going to be really, really fun.”
Two games, two confident wins, and a group that suddenly looks settled. For a team that opened the year searching for its identity, this week offered more than just goals and saves. It offered proof that the Raiders can dictate pace, play connected hockey, and grow quickly once things begin to click.
Fans will have four chances to see the Raiders in action prior to the Christmas break. Dec. 11 at West St. Paul Arena against Two Rivers at 7:00 p.m. Dec. 13 at home against New Prague at 2:00 p.m., at Chisago Lakes on Dec. 16 at 7:00 p.m. and back home against Hill-Murray on Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Hastings then takes place in the annual South St. Paul Premier tournament starting on Dec. 27 at 6:45 p.m.